The honest answer is that it is safer than most markets that launched in the same window, and less safe than you would like. The difference comes down to two things, the escrow design and your own discipline.

Anubis Market launched in early 2024 and runs only on Tor. The two features that matter most are the 2 of 3 multisig escrow and the PGP signed announcement channel. Both are real and both are verifiable. That puts it ahead of a lot of smaller operations that hold your coins in a single wallet and decide disputes by committee.

What it does well

The escrow is the strongest part. Three keys control every locked position, one held by the buyer, one by the vendor, one by the market. Two signatures release the funds. That means neither you nor the vendor can spend your money alone while an order is open. The PGP key lets you confirm that an announcement actually came from the operator, which stops the most common drain, a fake shutdown notice.

Two factor authentication is required at login, either TOTP or PGP. New accounts default to Monero, which keeps your purchase patterns out of the public ledger. These are all things you can check for yourself before you send a coin.

Where it falls short

The operator holds one of the three escrow keys. In a clean case that does not matter, two of the other two signatures release the funds without the operator. In a contested case it does. The operator has real discretion in edge cases, and no amount of math removes that. If you cannot accept a human making the final call when the evidence is unclear, this is not the market for you.

The first load is slow, dispute resolution takes days, and withdrawals can stretch to a couple of days. None of these are red flags, but they are the kind of friction that catches people off guard the first time.

The verdict

Anubis Market is a reasonable place to buy if you verify the PGP key, keep a cold wallet for your savings, and do not park more than you plan to spend in the account. It is not the right fit if you will not check the fingerprint, if you want instant withdrawals, or if you intend to keep your entire stash in the market balance. Do those three things and the risk is manageable. Skip them and no escrow design will save you.

FAQ

Is my money safe in escrow?

While an order is open, yes, because two of three signatures are needed to move it. The one caveat is that the operator holds one of those three keys, which matters in disputed cases.

What is the biggest risk I face?

A phishing clone. A copy of the page that takes your password. The PGP fingerprint check is what stops it, and it takes under a minute.

Does the market hold my coins?

Only the coins you have deposited and not yet withdrawn. Keep your savings in a cold wallet and only load what you plan to trade.

Is it legal where I live?

That depends on your jurisdiction. The market does not tell you what the law allows in your region. Check that before you commit.